Romans 2:21

Romans 2:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
• New International Version (NIV)you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
• English Standard Version (ESV)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
• New King James Version (NKJV)You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?

Context of Romans 2:21

19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them who are in darkness, 20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, who hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore who teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

Romans 2:21 word by word

ὁ οὖν διδάσκων ἕτερον σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; ὁ κηρύσσων μὴ κλέπτειν κλέπτεις;Read the interlinear

• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• whoὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• teachestδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
• anotherἕτεροςheteros · otherG2087
• notοὐou · noG3756
• thyselfσεαυτοῦseautou seautō seauton sautou sautō sauton · yourselfG4572
• preachestκηρύσσωkērussō · to preachG2784
• shouldκλέπτωkleptō · to stealG2813
• notμήmē · notG3361

Cross-references for Romans 2:21

• Psalms 50:16But to the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
• Matthew 23:3All therefore whatever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye according to their works: for they say, and do not.
• Luke 4:23And he said to them, Ye will surely say to me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
• Luke 11:46And he said, Woe to you also, ye lawyers! for ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
• Luke 12:47And that servant, who knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes .
• Luke 19:22And he saith to him, Out of thy own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping what I did not sow:
• 1 Corinthians 9:27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
• Galatians 6:13For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
• Isaiah 56:11Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
• Ezekiel 22:12In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained from thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.
• Amos 8:4Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
• Micah 3:11Her heads judge for reward, and her priests teach for hire, and her prophets divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? no evil can come upon us.
• Matthew 21:13And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
• Matthew 23:14Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Commentaries on Romans 2:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Thou therefore - Dr. Taylor has paraphrased this and the three following verses thus: "What signify your pretensions to knowledge, and the office of teaching others, if you have no regard to your own doctrine? What are you the better for preaching against theft, if you are a thief yourself? Or for declaring adultery unlawful, if you live in the practice of it? Or for representing idolatry abominable, if you are guilty of sacrilege? What honors or singular…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Thou therefore … - He who is a teacher of others may be expected to be learned himself. They ought to be found to be possessed of superior knowledge; and by this question the apostle impliedly reproves them for their ignorance. The form of a question is chosen because it conveys the truth with greater force. He puts the question as if it were undeniable that they were grossly ignorant; compare Matthew 23:3, “They say, and do not,” etc. That preachest…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-24Verses 17-24 The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sins they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions. A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is the root and sum of all religion. But proud, vain-glorious boasting in God, and in the outward profession of his name, is the root and sum of all hypocrisy. Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride. A great evil of the sins professors…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-22Paul again uses the diatribe style (a teaching method that argues with an imagined opponent) to show the inconsistency in Jewish claims (see study note on 2:1–5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2417-24. Behold--"But if" is, beyond doubt, the true reading here. (It differs but in a single letter from the received reading, and the sense is the same).Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 2:21

• Formalism
• Hypocrisy
• Inconsistency
• Minister, Christian
• Sin
• Theft and Thieves

In the dictionaries

• Accuse
• Boast
• Continuance
• Doer
• Excuse
• Fall of man
• Forbearance
• Sure
• Treasure
• Bible, the

Commentaries on Romans 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings